


Hearts Upon Hearts

by Illuso



Category: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Kinda Au-ish, M/M, Sick Character, Tiny bit of sad but mostly lovey dovey, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-17
Updated: 2017-02-17
Packaged: 2018-09-25 02:29:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9798461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Illuso/pseuds/Illuso
Summary: Cloud's been struggling with his sickness, even on Valentine's Day of all days. Zack is thankfully there to make it all better.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo, it's not smut this time! This is a late V-Day gift for my amazing girlfriend~ It's got a little twist, kinda just a part of an AU I thought of. I hope you enjoy it! <3

   Rain splashed on the windows as two lovers lay in bed, wrapped in a tight embrace. Warmth surrounded them as they shared their sweet-nothings and caresses, kisses light as a feather and touches that ignite flames in their hearts flowed from them, each point of contact sending the other signals of pure love and passion. The smaller of the two, Cloud, was currently staying with his boyfriend, Zack for the week. They had been together for what felt like a lifetime, been through hell and back with Zack’s near death experience in the military, and Cloud’s geostigma keeping him in bad health. Cloud had been getting better and better everyday, but there were times when it left him bedridden and sicker than ever. Zack never left his side at these times, and the blonde couldn’t have been more thankful. He often found himself lying awake at night wondering, ‘How did I score /this/ guy’. Cloud felt like the luckiest man in the world.

   “Hey Cloud,” There was a rustling on Zack’s side of the bed before he propped himself up on one arm.

   “Hmm?” A lazy hum was all he could pull out at the moment, his geostigma had been acting up again, and was causing him persistent amounts of fatigue.

   “Are you okay? You fell asleep while we were kissing…” His voice was laced with concern as he raked a hand through Cloud’s hair. “You have a fever again.”

   “Zack, I’m fine, don’t worry.” He swatted his hand away and sighed. Cloud knew he was lying to himself, but it was Valentine's Day, and he couldn’t have Zack worrying all the damn time.

   “Liar. Have you been taking your medicine?” He pulled the top blanket off of them and shuffled out of the bed with a apprehensive sigh.

   “Yes, Zack. Like I said, I’m fine. Get back in the bed.” He tried to grab his boyfriend’s wrist to pull him back, but he’d already gotten out of reach. Cloud ignored his headache as much as he could, just wanting to a have a normal day with the one he loved. His body felt weak and his skin was pale just like the last time, which worried Zack to no end. Zack knew Cloud was stubborn but after the last hospital visit, he wasn’t having any more ‘B.S’.

   “I’m getting you some water. You need to take better care of yourself instead of just ignoring things.” Zack left the room briefly before returning with a glass of water and an ice pack. In the few minutes that he was away Cloud felt a wave of pain was over him, gut wrenching, wracking his entire being and causing him to curl into himself. Deep breaths, a few at a time and he was calm again.

   “Drink this, you’re dehydrated.”

   “Really, I’m okay, you didn’t need-”

   “Stop. Let me take care of you, Cloud, _please._ I love you and I can’t sit and do nothing.” Zack handed the water over to shaky hands, mixes of pain and concern painted upon his face. After a few moments of silence and a few sips of water from Cloud, Zack returned to his spot in the bed next to Cloud: to place the ice pack on his forehead.

   “I don’t need the...Okay, fine…” Cloud knew he wouldn’t win this, so giving up and letting Zack do what he needed was best. He sighed at the feeling of the cold ice pack meeting his blazing skin and glanced over to his boyfriend with a smile. “Thank you...I know you only want the best for me. I love you too, by the way...” Cloud held his hand up for Zack to hold, and Zack took it with a smile. A comfortable silence fell between them, and Zack pressed closer to Cloud. The warmth Cloud brought both to his heart and to his body was something he’d never get used to. It felt so...Alive. So breathtaking. Zack basked in this feeling while sharing a moment with his lover. After some time, Zack turned to give Cloud a small peck on the cheek.

   “I know this isn’t the best Valentine’s Day for you, but I at least want to _try_ and make it a good one…” He took a deep breath and wrapped one arm around the blonde, and with the other, he fished out something from his pocket and pushed it into Cloud’s hand. It was a little red box with a heart on it. “Go ahead and open it.”

   “Zack, we agreed that we weren’t getting each-”

   “Shh, Cloud, just open it.”  
   “...Fine.” Cloud sighed while fiddling with the box; before sliding the top off and looking inside. A small smile stretched across his paled face as he stared down the contents and back up at Zack. “These are my favorite chocolates...How did you know?”

   “I pay attention, well...More like I stalked your pantry for months and took notes.” A blush crept on his face. “There’s more than just chocolates in there though, keep looking.” Cloud raised an eyebrow at Zack’s sudden softening. He never used the tone he had just then, which caused suspicions to rise on the blonde mind as he removed a chocolate. Tears were formed seconds later as he stared at the place in which the delicacy had sat moments before. Zack’s old note. The one written to Cloud a few days before his ‘last mission’. “Zack...You…”

   “Shh, I know...Just read it.” The arm wrapped around the smaller rubbed calmingly up and down his back. Cloud had thought that all these years his most prized possession: the note, was lost in the fires of Nibelheim.

   “I...I can’t…” Blonde locks shook side to side as Cloud motioned ‘no’, ‘it’s too hard for me’ with his head. A tear slid down his rosy cheeks, yet another tear Zack was there to wipe away.

   “Yes you can, you’ve done it a thousand times before, and I’m _here_. I’m not going anywhere.” Zack reached in the small box and retrieved the note, unfolding and smoothing it out on Cloud’s lap. Deep breaths, a few at a time, a few at a time.

   “D-dear Cloud;” His voice nearly broken, emotions wanting to wave over and pull him under. “I miss you. Being a SOLDIER isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. It’s given me much time to think alone, about my feelings, about my past, the future. I’ve realized things, things that I never wanted to admit to myself that I really felt, that I pushed away deep inside. I realized things about us, Cloud. You’re my best friend. But...Lately, I’ve realized that I’ve always wanted more for us. The way I feel about you isn’t how a friend feels, yes of course friends love each other, but Cloud... I _love_ you. More than anything. This might be my last note so I’m making it count. I love you with all I have and more, I always have. I could see us-” Cloud was interrupted by Zack standing from the bed and walking to the blonde’s side.

   “Spending our lives together.” Zack continued for him, not even bothering to look at the paper. His so-called ‘last words’ were etched into his own head, burning the same track on repeat, the things he still wanted to say, kept inside. “You are the one who brings me happiness, brings me laughter, comforts me. I want you to know that. I’ll always be there for you. I love you.” Zack finished the letter and looked into Cloud’s puffy eyes, glistened with tears. Lowering on one knee, Zack pulled another box out, a small black one in which he opened before Cloud. “Now with that said, how would you like to make me even happier than I was then? Cloud Strife, you’re my everything, all I’ve ever wanted or needed. Now I stand before you and ask: will you marry me?” His heart was beating a million beats per minute, the hand not grasping the box, laced with Cloud’s and somewhat tightly squeezed. A choked sob came from above, where Cloud sat. The hand tightened around Zack’s and fresh tears spilled out and down his face.

   “Yes! Yes Zack! Yes, of course.” He nodded and cried, Zack standing up to embrace him and join, mixing tears upon skin, upon cloth, upon hearts. Small ‘I love yous’ with big meaning were exchanged, and eventually words were drowned out by kisses, caresses, breath coming in pants and sticking to skin. As time passed and the excitement died down as far as it could, the two lovers fell soft in each other’s arms, dreaming up their future and how they’ll spend it the right way: together.

  


**Author's Note:**

> I really enjoyed writing this, so maybe in the future there will be a part two! :O


End file.
